A Ruined Day
by the LIME-GREEN color
Summary: Gods, I hate mortal girls. They're worse than brothers... A small story in a different point of view, from the beginning of The Battle of the Labyrinth.


**Thanks to everyone who managed to find this, buried in the other hundred or so fanfics for Percy Jackson.**

**All belongs to Rick Riordan.  
**

I felt a little like hitting something. Unfortunately the use of weapons in the household is strictly forbidden, except for in emergencies. I didn't have any practice dummies or punching bags in my room either.

"Could you just _please_ shut up, for _one second_?" I shouted down the stairs to my two half-brothers, Matthew and Bobby. I really have no idea how my dad and step-mom have dealt with them for so long. They just won't ever shut their mouths.

It's the first week of June, so school's out. Without any homework or anything I decided to finally try out my new 3D architectural software dad had bought me for my last birthday. There had been no chance to work with it before, but even now I was finding it a little hard to concentrate.

"But that one's _MINE_," wailed one of the twins, though I wasn't sure which one.

At the sound of small feet, stampeding up the stairs, I swung around in my desk chair.

"Annabeth?" came a tentative voice from outside my room. The door creaked open.

I knew it was Matthew, standing at my doorway, because today he was wearing his favorite T rex shirt that he wouldn't let anybody else touch.

I sighed. "What is it this time?"

"Bobby hit me," he told me.

Oh, gods. These two were turning into Greek warriors before my very eyes.

"And did he apologize?" I asked, interrogating him. "It might have been an accident."

My little brother's eyes scrunched adorably. "He said he was sorry."

"So what's the problem?"

"It hurt!" he whined.

Getting up, I asked him where Bobby had punched. He pointed at his cheek, which really only looked a little red. I myself had gotten much worse before. But I wasn't about to go talking about that to a toddler.

To make Matt feel better, I kissed his cheek. Then I pushed him out of my room and closed the door. Back at my computer, screen was still only at my desktop, with nothing on it.

From downstairs my stepmother herded the boys to their room for bed. The thought of my own bed made me yawn. Tomorrow I'd be flying back out to New York, to meet up with Percy, before we went back to camp for the summer.

So instead of finally starting on my birthday present, I logged off, and got ready for bed. What I didn't know was that it would be a while yet before I'd ever get to try out my birthday present.

"Flight attendants, prepare for landing." The seat belt sign above me dinged on.

I consider myself lucky, being the daughter of Athena; I have no troubles whatsoever with airplanes. They're very handy things, and would have helped enormously with the issue of travel on some of my previous quests. But of course, Percy Jackson had to be the son of Poseidon. He really didn't like risking air travel. You never knew if Zeus would be in the mood for knocking a demigod out of the sky.

Looking out my tiny oval window, I could see the skyscrapers of the Big Apple, standing tall and proud. As we descended, they seemed to reach up and engulf us. But this plane's destination was John F Kennedy International airport, a bit off to the side. My seat bumped when the wheels set down on the runway.

I'd sent my things ahead of me to Camp Half-Blood, so I didn't have to bother with baggage claim on my way out. Standing at the side of the airport, I was hailed a cab. Getting inside, I prayed to the gods that the driver wouldn't be a monster waiting to eat me.

"Goode High School, please," I said. "It's on East 81st."

"Sure thing," the cabbie said. He looked quite normal, wearing a tucked-in white shirt and jeans, with a balding scalp. I figured that if he sprouted a second head or grew fangs or anything I did have my celestial bronze knife hidden, strapped to my hip. For some weird reason, I found that my celestial bronze never set off any detectors in security checks.

Along with my knife, I'd debated on what to wear this morning, and had ended up with my regular camp shirt and blue jeans. Once I met up with Percy we _would _be going to the movies, but definitely just to hang out. When we got to Camp Half-Blood we'd be busy and wouldn't have time to do things like go to the movies. So this wasn't anything like a date at all, and so no reason to dress up. I hadn't gone to the movies in a long time.

My face got a little hot, realizing how stupid it was that I'd been thinking about what going to the movies meant, if it meant anything at all. So instead I resigned myself to looking out the cab window at the city, thinking about how I could redesign different parts of it with my birthday present at home.

By the time we pulled up at a big, brownstone building, I'd practically reformed our whole route here, all in my head. I paid the driver, thanked him, and stepped out onto the sidewalk of Goode High School.

Talking to Percy before, he'd told me that this was where his mom's boyfriend, Paul Blow-Something (I'd forgot his last name), taught English. The school looked very fancy, so I guessed that this Paul must be very persuasive, to get Percy in with his record of getting kicked out of schools.

Today, Goode was holding an orientation tour for all it's incoming ninth-graders. The notice board on the grass welcomed all the newcomers. It read: _Orientation Tour: 9:00- 10:30._ I'd planned my timing very well and it was just about ten twenty.

Also on the lawn with the announcement board was a nice bench. It was a nice day, too, so I went over and sat down, crossing my legs. I really wasn't a good waiter. My ADHD made sitting still hard, as it was with all half-bloods. It was just annoying most of the time, but the good part was that it had also saved my live countless times. It sort of doubled as battle instincts.

It didn't seem like I'd have to use them today. Or least I hoped not.

To pass the time, I looked over across the street at the buildings and the people. New York had a steady supply of interesting people and buildings.

My cell phone said it was twenty-six after. Percy really wouldn't be out until about ten thirty-three. Getting up, I went to the sidewalk, thinking maybe I'd take a little walk to pass the time. Two minutes out, and two minutes back would wast some time.

I'd just taken a few steps when somewhere at the side of the high school, I heard a door creakily flung open.

Seconds later no one other than Percy Jackson ran straight bang into me.

"Hey you're out early!" I laughed, surprised, but happy to see him. I grabbed his shoulders before he could tumble into the street. "Watch where you're going, Seaweed Brain."

Just for a moment, everything was fine, and I thought about how fun it would be, just going to the movies together and hanging out. Percy's hair was sticking up everywhere, though that was normal, for him. But then I noticed the scorch marks on his shirt, and a bit of a frantic gleam in his eyes.

Alarms started ringing from Goode High School.

"Percy, wait up!"

If I'd thought that Percy being out early was a surprise, then it was double weird when a girl dressed in a maroon shirt, marker-pants, and frizzy red hair came running. I didn't feel like smiling any more. Looking up at Goode again, I saw new black rings of smoke hovering around the school. Putting two and two together, I turned to glared at Percy.

"What did you do this time? And who is this?"

"Oh, Rachel-Annabeth. Annabeth-Rachel. Um, she's a friend. I guess." He seemed to scramble for words, and it only made things worse.

"Hi," she said to me. Then she turned back to Percy. "You are in _so _much trouble. And you still owe me an explanation."

In the distance I heard sirens. Any person with an ounce of sense would figure that they were coming straight to Goode High School.

"Percy," I said, trying to keep my temper. "We should go."

The girl cut in. "I want to know more about half-bloods," she insisted. "And monsters. And this stuff about the gods." She grabbed Percy's arm, took out a permanent marker (probably the same one she'd used on her pants), and wrote what looked like a number on his hand. I could feel my face burn hot with anger.

"You're going to call me and explain, okay?" she ordered. "You owe me that. Now get going."

Percy had actually gone and _told_ a mortal. And a girl one too!

"But-" he stammered.

"I'll make up some story," Rachel said. "I'll tell them it wasn't your fault. Just go!"

She ran back the way she'd come, leaving just Percy and I in the street. I stared at Percy, deciding whether to question him, or get going.

I turned and started walking the other way.

"Hey!" he called after me, jogging after. "There were these two _emousai_. They were cheerleaders, see, and they said camp was going to burn, and-"

"You told a mortal girl about half-bloods?" I didn't stop walking.

"She can see through the Mist. She saw the monsters before I did."

"So you told her the truth."

"She recognized me from the Hoover Dam, so-"

"You've met her _before_?"

"Um, last winter. But seriously, I barley know her."

"She's kind of cute."

"I-I never thought about it."

Oh, sure you didn't.

I looked up at the street signs, making sure I was heading towards York Avenue.

"I'll deal with the school," he promised. "Honest, it'll be fine."

My heart sank, and I didn't look at him. We'd just have to leave straight for camp. "I guess our afternoon is off," I told him. "We should get you out of here, now that the police will be searching for you."

It took him a couple seconds to answer. "You're right," he said. "We have to get to Camp Half-Blood. _Now_."

"We can just take a cab," I said, planning. "Going to get your mom would take to much time."

Percy nodded, looking relieved with the topic change. "I'll just send her an Iris message when we get there."

Later, in the taxi, he tried to talk to me more, but I mostly ignored him.

Gods, I really hate mortal girls. They're worse than brothers.

Gods, I _hate_ mortal girls. They're worse than twin brothers.

**I hope you enjoyed, and thought this was worthwhile, for you to read and me to write. **

**I guess we'll see if I do any more for Percy Jackson... **


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